


Survivor Guilt

by sundaze



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Death, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tyler is a cocky asshole, Violence, Zombie AU, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies Run! Au, josh is a softie, joshler - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-24 16:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10745877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sundaze/pseuds/sundaze
Summary: Three years ago, a virus outbreak swept the country and the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse began. Anderson Township is the home of an organization that sends out runners to different cities to retrieve and receive news, medicine and other basic needs of survival from other surrounding towns.Tyler Joseph, Runner 7, has been through a lot since he joined the Anderson Township. He's learned that he can't get close to people, because no one is permanent in this world. He thinks he's working alone for good, until he gets assigned a new partner, Runner 0.





	1. Runner 0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've wanted to write a Zombie AU since I started writing and I'm so glad I'm finally doing it. I got the idea for this fic from an app I use to exercise called Zombies Run! It's a really great app and I think you should check it out if you are interested in exercise!!
> 
> I hope everyone likes this. The title of the entire work and this chapter are both Rise Against song titles. 
> 
> Please leave me some feedback!

“You’re going to be getting a new partner today, Runner 7.” Mark says, approaching the table where Tyler, Runner 7, is eating his breakfast.

Tyler looks up to meet Mark’s gaze as he sits down across from him. “What?” Tyler asked through a mouth full of food. A partner? Mark knows Tyler doesn’t do partners since the last time. Tyler works alone.

Mark nods, smiling wide as he continues to stare at Tyler. “When you got surrounded by a hoard last week, I noticed something about your shooting skills.”

“What about them?” Tyler asks, folding his arms and resting them on the table.

“They’re shit.” Mark says simply. “But that’s why I’m bringing you a partner! He’s been sniping zombies out on his house in Williamsburg since the virus started spreading three years ago. He had to leave his house when a gas line broke. He was afraid it was going to set his house on fire and attract the zombies.”

“So why is he our problem now?”

“He fits right in. He needs somewhere to sleep and be fed. You need someone who can run and shoot a zomb accurately. It’s literally perfect.” Mark declares, leaning in towards Tyler.

Tyler shakes his head defiantly. “No way. I can run and shoot a zombie on my own. Me getting surrounded was a one-time thing.”

“We can’t risk it,” Mark states. He looks around and over his shoulders before leaning all the way across the table and whispering, “You are our best runner, 7. If we lose you, I don’t think any of us will be able to make it.”

“I told you: I was ambushed by those things. If I had been prepared and on guard, I would have been able to take them.” Tyler defends himself, feeling a bit offended. Although Tyler doesn’t believe in friendships in this volatile world they live in, Mark is the guy who Tyler looks to when he needs to be lifted or hyped up about something, not told what he’s doing wrong. “It won’t happen again.”

“What if it does happen again?” Mark continues. “We can’t assume that was a one time, freak incident. We need to be prepared. I think this could be really good. Good for all of us.”

“How is it good for me?” Tyler jeers, glaring up at Mark.

Obviously taken aback by Tyler’s sudden shift in tone, Mark closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I worded that wrong. It’ll benefit everyone here. We’ll have a new runner, you’ll have someone who can shoot the zombs, and he has somewhere to stay. Everyone gains something out of this decision.”

Tyler groans and looks down into his lap fiddling with the ring on his finger nervously. “What if it happens again?”

“I can’t promise it won’t happen, but you won’t know unless you try.” Mark states, the tone in his voice changing to a soft, gentle sound.

Tyler quietly sucks in a shaky breath, feeling his hands trembling slightly as he tries to clear his mind. “I can’t replace her that easily, Mark…”

“No one is asking you to replace her, 7. But you need someone else to go on runs with you. You’re our best runner and we can’t risk losing you.”

“You know I don’t value myself much since what happened to Runner 9.” Tyler spits through a shaking voice. “I’m fine on my own.”

“Please. We need you to stay alive so you can be here running for us. You’re an important part of this very delicate system” Mark sighs and chews on his lip a little. “I know you’re still grieving over what happened, and I hate to be the person to tell you this, but you need to move on man. Nothing lasts forever, especially around here. You did all you could do in that moment, and yeah, you failed, but you’re not a super hero. You’re twenty years old. You were thrown into this mess without a clue of what was going on and look how far you’ve come.”

Tyler frowns and wraps his arms around himself. “I just don’t want to get too close again.”

“Then don’t.” Mark simply states. “Keep your relationship strictly work based and nothing else.”

Tyler breaks eye contact with his shaking hands to look at Mark’s eyes. His eyes are wide and still focused on Tyler. A small smile is tugging on his lips, almost hopeful looking; a look a lot of people around Anderson Hospital don’t see anymore. Tyler exhales and stands up from the table. “I have a run to do today at noon. Have him meet me by the gates at 11:45, yeah?”

Mark bursts into a huge broad smile, reaching from one ear to another. He leaps out of his chair and shakes Tyler’s hand across the table. “Thank you, Runner 7. You won’t regret this choice.”

Tyler rolls his eyes, and walks away after shaking Mark’s hand. He continues to fight back the forming tears as he reflected on what had happened a year ago in the once bustling city of Cincinnati.

*

11:40.

Tyler sighed and laid his head back against the cool metal of the chain link fence that stood about 10 feet above his standing height.

 _If Mark doesn’t bring this new guy here by noon, I am leaving without him._ Tyler thought as he pulled the filling notebook out of the messenger back by his side. He opens the book to a page that has a photograph paperclipped to it. Tyler examines the photo like he has for the ten thousandth time since he took it what feels like a thousand years ago.

The photo was taken in one of the hospital hallways with someone’s instant camera they brought along with them. Tyler is standing in the middle of the frame, holding Runner 9 in a bridal style, one arm around her back and waist, the other under her knees. She has one leg stuck out that is slightly bent, and one leg bent completely. Tyler always compared Runner 9 to a beach sunset: her hair was the color of fine, California white sand, her eyes the exact same blue color of the Pacific Ocean, and her personality was like all the colors of the sunset: everything about it was Tyler’s favorite.

“Runner 7,” Tyler hears someone sounding far away call out to him. “Earth to 7.” Tyler breaks focus from the photo and looks up to see Mark towering over him. Mark smiles when he sees that Tyler is back into reality. “Thought we lost you for a moment there, bud.”

Tyler shakes his head, wipes his tear welling eyes, and gets to his feet. Tyler didn’t even notice the guy standing by Mark’s side. _Must be the new runner_ Tyler thinks as he lets his eyes scan over him quickly. He’s not much taller than Tyler, but he is more in shape than himself. He’s got hair that seems it was once dyed red, but now its fading into a pinkish white color and naturally brown sides that are shaved off, creating a kind of faux hawk style. A white tank top with open sides cover his torso and dark skinny jeans cover his lower half. Somehow, even though all the shit that’s been going on, he still manages to dress nicely.

“Runner 7, this is your new partner.” Mark, gestures to the man standing behind him.

The man steps forwards and holds his hand out. “Good to meet you, I’m Jo—“

Tyler holds his hand up, signaling for the man to stop talking. “I don’t like learning the names of the people that I have to run missions with.” Tyler puts his hand down and looks over at Mark, who is obviously very nervous for this run. “I’ve learned my lesson about that the hard way.”

“O-okay…” The man’s voice trails and dies off quickly.

“Runner 0,” Mark jumps in quickly, trying to revive the conversation. “He’s Runner 0.”

Tyler nods and looks back to Runner 0. “The last Runner 0 got lost in the woods somewhere in Batavia and not only did he get bitten by an undead, he was mauled half to death by a bear. Natural selection came in and killed him by the time any of us were able to track him down.” Tyler smiles slyly; not because of the death of former Runner 0, but because of the look on the new Runner 0’s face.

“7,” Mark scolds, as if he were Tyler’s father.

Tyler snickers to himself and takes a step closer to Runner 0. “You’re safe with me, though. I am one of the best runners here in Anderson Township. Aren’t I, Mark?”

Mark nods a little, his eyes shifting between Tyler and Runner 0. “But he’s not quite good at aiming at the zombs. That’s why he needs you, Runner 0.”

“That was a one-time thing where the zombies snuck up on me from behind.” Tyler corrects Mark, his voice is full of offense and annoyance. Tyler takes a step closer to Runner 0, forcing Mark to take a step back so Tyler is basically chest to chest with Runner 0. “And let me set the record straight right now, 0. I do not need help with anything, I do not need Mark over here assigning me new partners every few months, and I especially do not need _you_ slowing me down and drawing zombies to us. I was doing fine on my own.”

The color in Runner 0’s face drops to a very pale white, almost the same color of the notebook in Tyler’s bag. His mouth is hanging slack and his eyes are wide in disbelief. Tyler smiles at the awkward silence filling the air right now. He turns to Mark and sees he’s holding a yellow envelope. “Is that what we’re delivering?”

Mark looks down at his hands and nods a little before handing it over to Tyler. “Don’t forget these.” He says as he digs around in his bag, retrieving two sets of headphones so Runner 0 and Tyler will be able to hear Mark when he can see that there are zombies are nearby them. Mark hands one to Tyler and the other to Runner 0.

“Alright then,” Tyler states, sliding the envelope into his messenger bag and then looking up at Runner 0. “We have to get to Ashdale before the sun starts setting.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard.” Runner 0 states, following Tyler towards the gate leading out. “Ashdale is only like a half hour from here.”

“By car.” Tyler simply replies, not even looking over his shoulder.

Runner 0 is silent for a moment. “How far is it by foot?”

“About five hours.” Tyler turns around to face Runner 0 and gives him a sickly-sweet smile. If it was possible, Runner 0 was whiter than a ghost by this point. “That’s why we’ve got to get a move on, Mr. 0. Don’t want to get caught out after dark.

 


	2. Keep Running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runner 7 and Runner 0 go on their first mission together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fighting and blood TW

 “You’re going in the right direction, guys,” Mark says over the headphones. “You have about two and a half hours until you get to Ashdale. No signs of any zombies. You may want to pick up the pace a bit if you want to best sunset.”

Tyler rolls his eyes and talks into the mic connected to the ear piece. “Roger that.” Tyler looks over to Runner 0. For his first run, he’s holding up well, especially at this point in the summer. The sun is high and beating down on the two of them. Runner 0 is keeping right up with Tyler which is exactly what he wanted. Tyler would never let Runner 0 know this, though.

“So…” Runner 0 intones. “How long have you been working with Anderson Township?”

“Two and a half years.” Tyler states, looking back to what’s in front of him.

“So you’re like a pro at this by now, right?”

“Mhm.” Tyler hums, hoping that the conversation would stop after that, but Runner 0 seems persistent.

“How old are you?”

Tyler sighs and stops, turning to face Runner 0. “Look,” Tyler begins, his hands pressed against each other and pointing at Runner 0. “If you couldn’t tell, I’m not thrilled to be having a partner again. I’m not here to make small talk and to be your buddy. I am here to deliver this envelope and to get back home safe and sound. Got it?” Tyler turn back in the direction they were going and continues their journey.

“Again?” Runner 0 questions.

Tyler stops dead in his tracks. Without turning around, Tyler replies, “What?”

“You said ‘I’m not thrilled to be having a partner _again_.’ What do you mean by again?”

Tyler frowns. He sucks his bottom lip in between his teeth and nervously gnashes _o_ at the flesh. He was hoping to avoid this conversation with the new runner. “I didn’t mean to say that. I-I just tripped over my words, I guess.”

“You had also mentioned at the base that you don’t like getting to know your partners because of what happened last time.” Runner 0 rebuttals, taking a couple small steps closer to Tyler.

“Just let it go, okay?”

“C’mon. If we’re going to be partners, we might as we get to know each other a little bit.”

Tyler rolls his eyes and turns around to face Runner 0. “Yeah, maybe little things like our names. Not personal shit.”

Runner 0 smiles and sticks his hand out. “Josh.”

Tyler scowls and turns back around, beginning to walk again without another word. “Come on, Tyler!” Josh exclaims, running behind Tyler.

Tyler whips around, glaring intensely at Josh, who stops dead in his tracks to keep himself from crashing into Tyler. “How do you know my name?”

Josh’s eyes flick back and forth between either side of Tyler, making sure to avoid Tyler’s eyes. “Uh, I saw it in one of the offices.”

“Liar,” Tyler barks, taking a step to close the distance between their chests. “Tell me how you learned my name or I will leave you stranded out here by yourself.”

“Mark told me. He told me your real name before he took me to meet you.” Josh admits, looking right into Tyler’s eyes this time.

“That fucker,” Tyler spits under his breath, walking away from Josh once more.

“I can hear you,” Mark says over the mic. “7, back off of 0. Just deliver the envelope and get home.”

Tyler walks away from Josh, his eyes burning holes into him. Tyler starts the trek again without saying another word.

*

The rest of the walk to Ashdale is silent; even most of the walk back to Anderson Township is absorbed in silence. Tyler can tell that Josh wants to say something to him, but the look on his face gives it away that he’s scared, which Tyler is alright with. It’s better to keep quiet with a guard up rather than talk and be unaware of the surroundings.

The two runners are walking through a dense forest somewhere in Milford when the sun begins to set. Tyler frowns as he considers taking off and leaving Josh behind, but he knows what would happen if he did that. Tyler thinks he knows a lot about how to survive the zombie apocalypse on his own, but he’d rather not test his skills out.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tyler sees Josh stop walking and looking around in the forest. Tyler studies him, unsure of why he had stopped or what he’s looking at. Josh quickly pulls out his gun and aims it into the woods. Tyler can hear Mark saying “What are you guys doing? Keep going,” through the earpiece, but Josh doesn’t move.

Tyler comes to the conclusion that Josh saw nothing and is being paranoid, so he begins walking again, expecting Josh to as well. But he doesn’t. After a couple of steps without Josh beginning to follow Tyler, he turns to see Josh still aiming his gun into the woods.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Tyler exclaims in a whisper, just in case there is something Tyler can’t see. “We have to keep moving. It’s already dusk and we still have—“

An ear-piercing gun shot rings through the forest, causing Tyler to cover his ears. He looks back to Josh who’s gun is lowered, still staring into the thick forest.

“Are you crazy?!” Tyler yells, removing his hands from his ears and running over to Josh. “What are you shooting at? There was nothing there!”

“I thought I saw something,” Josh defends himself. He sounds far away, like his brain is on another planet some light years away. “I got scared it would surprise us.”

“Don’t shoot a fucking gun unless there is definitely something there, because now they heard us and you’re drawing them to us.”

“I didn’t know that! No one told me.” Josh replies, his tone rising, sounding annoyed.

“It’s common fucking sense.” Tyler groans and puts his hands over his face. “This is why I didn’t want a fucking partner. I always just get put in harm’s way when I have one.”

“Don’t blame me for this!” Josh yells at Tyler. Tyler removes his hands from his face and glares at Josh. “No one told me that a gun is only shot when there is a zombie right in front of you.”

“But you know they’re attracted to loud sounds and fires and shit like that. Shooting off a gun is practically calling out, ‘I’m over here, zombies! Come and get me'.”

“Tyler, I didnt—“

“Do not call me Tyler.” Tyler scolds, his eyes shifting around to make sure there is nothing around.

Josh sighs and shakes his head. “You're kind of being an asshole.”

“That’s because I have to work with dumbasses like you.”

“Guys…” Mark says, trying to get their attention.

“Fuck you!” Josh barks, ignoring Mark's comment. “I thought I saw something and I was trying to kill it before it became an actual issue.”

“Well now you’re causing an _actual_ issue because they know that we’re out here for them to come eat.”

“Tyler, I didn’t know.”

“What did I just say about calling me that.”

Josh rolls his eyes and continues walking, intentionally bumping his shoulder against Tyler, causing the boy to stumble back a little. Tyler grimaces, turns around and pushes Josh hard, almost knocking him over. Before either of them realize what they’re doing, they’re on the ground wrestling to be on top so they can punch the other repeatedly in the face.

Since Josh is more in shape and bigger than Tyler, the battle for dominance doesn’t take long for Josh to win. He has his knees on either side of Tyler, one hand pressing his shoulder down, the other connecting with Tyler’s face over and over again. Blood starts coming from Tyler’s nose, but he tries to block Josh’s fists with no luck. Tyler manages to wiggle his legs out from under Josh so he’s able to kick him in the chest and get him off. The two stay on the ground, gasping as they try to catch their breaths. Tyler touches underneath his nose and sees there is blood on fingers. “Oh, fuck me,” Tyler whines as he goes from a lying position to a sitting one.

“I hate to break up this bonding moment,” Mark says through the headphones. “But there’s a hoard coming your way from behind. They probably heard the gun shot. I suggest you both drop whatever that was and get running.”

Without another word, the two are on their feet in a split second and off and running in the direction they were heading.

“I told you that they’d be attracted to the gunshot,” Tyler spits as the two dash through the woods.

“I don’t remember doubting you,” Josh comes back at the with.

The pair stop their conversion so they can focus on running and saving their breath. Tyler doesn’t know how long they’ve been running for, it didn’t feel like very long, but he feels as if his chest is about to collapse on him. He slows down until he can get down on his hands and knees. He needs a break, but he knows he has to keep going.

“Are you alright?” Josh calls, running back to where Tyler is hunched over.

Tyler gives a little nod before standing back up and starting to run again. He can feel Josh’s eyes drilling holes into him, but he tries his best to just ignore it and focus on getting away from the swarm.

It’s not long until Tyler is back on the ground, gasping for air. Josh comes right back to Tyler and kneels down beside him, placing a hand on his back. “Mark, there is something wrong with Tyler.”

“Don’t…” Tyler doesn’t even have the energy to speak.

“He must have gotten drained from where you two numb nuts were beating the shit out if each other.” Mark suggests. “But you have to keep going, the zombs are gaining on you two. Once you’re out of the woods, you should be all clear, but that’s still another half a mile.”

Josh bites his lip and looks down at Tyler, who’s on his back with his hand on his chest, as if he were making sure his heart is still beating. Thinking quick, Josh stands up, lifts Tyler up bridal style and continues running towards the exit of the woods. Josh can hear tired and weak refusals of being carried from Tyler, but he ignores them as he sprints to the end.

Once Josh has run well out of the woods and gets the OK from Mark that they’re clear of any zombies, Josh puts Tyler down and sits him up against a tree. “I can’t believe I was just carried by a fucking newb.” Tyler spits, folding his arms across his chests.

Josh smirks through pants of breath, then turns to dig around in his bag. “Well if this newb wasn’t there, you might have gotten bit,” Josh states, pulling a water bottle out of his bag and handing it to Tyler.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Tyler hisses as he takes the water from Josh. “If you weren’t there I wouldn’t have been in that mess in the first fucking place.”

Josh smirks again, rolling his eyes and sitting besides Tyler. “Can’t wait to go on another run with you, 7.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoys this!


End file.
